AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) Emergency Relief Funds (ERF) | HRSA 20 066

Opportunity Information: Apply for HRSA 20 066

The AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) Emergency Relief Funds (ERF) grant opportunity is a discretionary grant program run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), specifically HRSA's HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) and its Division of State HIV/AIDS Programs (DSHAP). It sits under the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Part B framework and is designed to give states and territories a way to quickly stabilize or strengthen their ADAP programs when normal resources are not enough to meet demand. In practical terms, the funding is aimed at protecting access to HIV medications and related treatment supports by helping jurisdictions avoid the kind of budget and demand crunches that can lead to clients being placed on ADAP waiting lists.

The main purpose of ADAP ERF is to prevent, reduce, or eliminate ADAP waiting lists. A waiting list is essentially a signal that an ADAP program does not have enough resources to serve everyone eligible, which can interrupt or delay access to antiretroviral therapy and other essential medications. HRSA makes clear that the strongest priority is addressing any existing waiting lists. Even though, at the time this notice was published, there were no ADAP waiting lists nationally, the program is still structured as a safeguard so that states and territories that have experienced waiting lists in the past can avoid sliding back into them. The notice also states that if a state or territory establishes a waiting list after the publication of the funding announcement, it must report that waiting list to HRSA immediately, and any ERF funding awarded under this opportunity must be used to remove clients from that waiting list. That requirement highlights the emergency nature of the funds and reinforces that uninterrupted treatment access is the core objective.

Funding decisions are need-based rather than automatic. HRSA will base awards on how well applicants can demonstrate that they need additional funding to maintain ADAP access and prevent service disruptions. Applications are reviewed by an external objective review committee using criteria set out in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). This review process is intended to ensure awards go to jurisdictions where the risk is real and where extra resources will make a measurable difference, with emphasis placed on immediate access issues such as waiting list prevention or elimination. The program's history also matters here: HRSA first launched ERF funding in August 2010 during a period when many states and territories were struggling with ADAP waiting lists, and the continued availability of ERF is meant to keep those earlier problems from returning when economic conditions, drug costs, or caseloads shift.

The notice also highlights that ERF funds can be used not only for direct medication access pressures but also for cost-containment approaches that help stretch ADAP resources. One example explicitly mentioned is providing health insurance assistance, which can shift costs away from direct purchase of medications and toward insurance-based coverage models that may be more sustainable depending on the local market and program design. This reflects a broader strategy used in many ADAPs: blending direct drug purchasing with insurance premium and cost-sharing support to maintain coverage continuity, improve access to a wider network of services, and reduce per-client program costs where feasible.

A notable update in this funding year is that states and territories may also use ERF funds to respond to current or projected increases in treatment needs that align with the national goal of ending the HIV epidemic, or to handle other unexpected increases in the number of ADAP clients. That includes situations where more people are newly diagnosed and entering care, or where people who had fallen out of care are re-engaged and need rapid access to treatment. The intent is to prevent program strain from growth that is, in many ways, a sign of progress in testing, outreach, and linkage-to-care efforts. Instead of waiting for the system to become overwhelmed, ERF can be used proactively to absorb demand increases and keep treatment access stable.

From an administrative and identification standpoint, the opportunity is titled "AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) Emergency Relief Funds (ERF)" with Funding Opportunity Number HRSA 20-066 and CFDA number 93.917. It is a grant (not a contract) in the health funding activity category. The opportunity anticipated up to 30 awards, and the listed award ceiling is shown as 0, which typically indicates the ceiling is not a fixed single maximum in the summary field and that applicants should rely on the NOFO details for any specific award size parameters or budget guidance. The opportunity was created September 4, 2019, with an original closing date of November 4, 2019. Eligibility is summarized as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," but the program context makes clear that the primary intended applicants are states and territories administering ADAP under RWHAP Part B.

Overall, this grant opportunity is best understood as an emergency stabilization tool for state and territorial ADAP programs. It is built to keep people with HIV from losing timely access to lifesaving medications due to funding shortfalls, sudden caseload changes, or other unexpected pressures. HRSA is signaling that it wants applicants to propose uses of ERF funds that are practical, targeted, and evidence-based, while also supporting broader agency priorities around innovation, collaboration, impact, and effectiveness.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) Emergency Relief Funds (ERF)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.917.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 04, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 04, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 30 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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